8 years ago, my life took a turning point, and I became a single mom of two little kids. My life started to fall apart with the mental stress of managing a family all by myself while dealing with the financial stress of paying for the mortgage and other essentials. Even bringing the food to our table was taking a toll. A 9 to 5 corporate job while caring for my kids was crushing my mind. Hence, it ended up with me being fired.
After years of struggles, I finally got control of my mind and life and emerged as a reputed entrepreneur in society. You can achieve it earlier if you timely learn about how to do it. This blog post is a complete road map that can help struggling single mums start their businesses while making up enough time for their families. Let’s get started to learn with these functional guidelines.
How to Prepare Yourself for Starting a Business
As a single mother, I truly understand your insecurities about missing your mother's duties while spending ample time on starting a business. However, trust me, it is all worth it, and you are doing it for the sake of your family. Here is what you can do to get a relaxed mind toward your mum’s duties.
● Get Over the Working-Mom-Guilt
In the start of a business, entrepreneurs are dealing with a lot. From hiring human resources to getting the right logistics, there are a lot of things to do. Hence, you may not be able to spend as much time with your kids as the at-home mums do. However, it is not about how much time you are going to spend; it is the quality of the time. Use your limited time for bonding and crafting a healthy relationship with your kids to get over your working mum's guilt.
● Hire a Secure Childcare
Let’s be honest. You are not going to be around your kids all the time. Hence, you need to ensure that your child is safe while you are concentrating on your business. The best and most secure childcare is the other parent who can efficiently take care of their kids. However, if the environment at the place of the other parent is not good, you can opt for the well-reputed childcare facility in your locality where your kids can have a good time after school.
● Secure Your Mental Health
Single motherhood brings a lot of challenges. From managing the daily chores to being the sole breadwinner of the family, single mothers’ struggles are never-ending. In this chaotic and demanding routine, they have a hard time dedicating some time to their mental and physical well-being. The puffy eyes or tired shoulders, it is not what a single mother deserves. As a single mother, I have always stressed managing a self-care routine to have a healthy environment. Therefore, dedicate some self-care time in your busy routine so you can refresh yourself for the upcoming tasks.
How to Start a Business as a Single Mom
Once you are sure that your children are safe and secure in your physical absence, it is time to start your business. Here is the step-by-step guide for helping the enthusiastic single moms to start their business.
● Create a Business Plan
The journey of every entrepreneur starts with crafting a realistic business plan that clarifies the path to gaining financial independence. In the simplest words, a business plan includes what and how you are going to do by identifying the market gaps regarding your business and highlighting your potential to fill the gaps. Create a smart roadmap for your journey in the form of a business plan. Childcare, Motherhood blogs, pet care, or a small business, you start to get your business idea inspirations from here or from the internet to figure out what skills and interests you have to invest in a meaningful business.
● Secure Funds for Business
The crucial element of starting a business is to secure funding. Not everyone has enough capital to start their business. So, it is common to get funding from traditional lenders like banks or private lending companies like Royace Stone Capital. Many organizations provide special grants to single mothers who are planning to launch their businesses. You can present your business plan to the lenders to get enough funds to kick-start your business.
● Launch Your Business
You have got a business plan, secure your funding, and it is the time to launch what you have dreamt of. It depends on the volume and requirements of your business and how much time it is going to take to establish and make your first sale. However, it is all mentioned in your business plan, and you have a timeline for every step.
● Marketing A Business
Marketing is an important part of business launch and growth. You have to tell the people about the existence of your high-quality products. The essential part of marketing strategy is stressing the objectives of your business so people can know how your business can benefit them. Increase networking with the single-mom communities who will be more than happy to promote your business, and you may get your first clients from there. Moreover, you should also use conventional marketing channels like social media to market your business and reach your goals.
Final Words on Starting a Business as a Single Mum
In conclusion, starting a business as a single mother has two important aspects. The first one is where you prepare yourself for starting a business and get over the guilt and fear of failure of having a work-life balance, while in the other, you start your journey as an entrepreneur and give a realistic appearance to your business idea. Set some big goals and set out on a risky journey to achieve them and gain your financial independence.
